Share this:

Filmmaker Jorge Rubiera premieres his newest documentary, Abbey Rader: Get Free at the Miami Beach Cinematheque on Friday, February 20, 2015 at 4:30 PM. A live jazz concert by Abbey Rader and his quartet will take place after the screening, followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker and musicians. Admission is free.

A second opportunity to see the film and band will be on Saturday, February 21 at 7:30 pm at Audioteque on Lincoln road as part of the Subtropics Experimental Music and Sound Art Biennial. Admission is free

Abbey Rader: Get Free explores the journey of Abbey Rader, a jazz drummer, Buddhist and martial artist, who dedicated his life to the pursuit of spiritual freedom. His purpose was defined as a young musician in New York when, in the fertile mid-60s, he experienced the spiritual power of John Coltrane’s quartet. From then on, he sought to release himself from all constrictions, musical or otherwise. His path brought him to a Buddhist master from China and jazz legends on both sides of the Atlantic. Fifty years later, his quest to perform and live in the moment continues.

Michael Gordon’s new recording, Dystopia, includes two of his most ambitious orchestral projects to date and will be released by Cantaloupe Music on February 24, 2015. The title piece, a city symphony for Los Angeles, was commissioned and performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The live, uncut recording of this world premiere was conducted by David Robertson at Walt Disney Concert Hall in January 2008. The second work, Rewriting Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, is also presented in its live and uncut form from the 2006 world premiere at the Beethovenfest Bonn, where it was performed by the Bamberger Symphoniker and conducted by Jonathan Nott. A recording of Gotham, Gordon’s city symphony for New York, will also be available on February 24 as an iTunes exclusive, performed by Aurora Orchestra under Nicholas Collon’s direction.